Protector for drill pipe and the like



April 11, 1933. .1. w. MacCLATCHlE 7 1,903,467

PROTECTOR FOR DRILL PIPE AND THE LIKE Filed May 27, 1929 ll l I i u 3 J INVENTOR. fififlWNacC'ldMz W J ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 11, 1933 JOHN W. MACGLATCHIE, OF COMPTON, CALIFORNIA PROTECTOR FOR lDRILL PIPE AND THE LIKE A'pplicationfiled my 27 This invention is aprotector for the various strings of casing, drill pipe and the like which. are adapted. for lowering into a well during. development and production, and has w the surrounding wellcasing; it being apparent however that the protector may be adaptedfor mounting on any string of pipe or well ools which is adapted to be lowered in a well bore, and reference herein to a protector for drill, pipe will thus be understood as embodying the mounting of a protector on any type of well string.

,It is afurther object of the invention to provide a protector which will insure a yieldable cushioning engagement between a. string of well pipe and the wall of the surrounding bore which may be formed by a string of well casing or the like, with the protector adapted to maintain its cushioning engagement irrespective of the various conditions of hard 11')1s-agewhich maybe encountered in the well ore.

More particularly it is an object of the illvention to provide a protector comprising a sleeve of yieldable cushioning material such. as-a resilient medium, rubber for example, with the cushioning sleeve longitudinally. split for readily encircling a drill pipe and having retaining means surrounding the split s'le-evefor preventing its displacement from the drill ;pipe,with the retaining means preferably arranged whereby the sleeve is held against radially outward expansion but i is adapted for radially inward expansion so as to tightly grip the drill pipe and thus preventax'ial displacement of the protector.

It is a further particular object of the in vention to provide for positively drawing the retaining means into tight gripping engagement-with the protecting sleeve and to preferably arrange said positive tightening means 1929. semi No. 366,264.

for locking engagement with the drill pipe so as to prevent its displacement and thus insure the retaining means maintaining a tight gripping engagement. i

Further objects of the invention will be readily understoodfrom the following de scription of the accompanying drawing, in which: 7 i

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation'of a string of drill provided with the protector which is shown partly inaxial section.

Fig. 2 is adetail axial section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing operative positionof the tightening means for gripping the protector on the drill pip-e.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryview similar to ig. 2 but showing the tightening means prior to its shifting to operative position.

The protector is illustrated as mounted on a string of drill pipe 1 having usual coupling collars 2, and the protector comprises a sleeve 3 ofrubber or the like forming a yieldable cushioning medium adapted to encircle pipe 1 with its outer contact periphery 4 projecting radially outwardly beyondcouplings 2 so that the protector sleeve will receive the impact of any abutment against the'wall of the surrounding well bore, and will thus prevent any wear of either the drillpipe or the well casing or the like which forms ,thesurrounding bore. The outer contact periphery of the cushioning sleeve may taper to reduced diameters toward its respective ends as shown in Fig.1, so that the string of drill pipe may be inserted and withdrawn without liability of the protector catching on anyobstruction in the well bore.

In order to provide for convenient mounting of the protector sleeve at any desired point between couplings2, the sleeve-is preferably longitudinally split as shown at 5 so that it may readily encircle pipe 1, and the split sleeve is held in operative position surrounding the drill pipe by retaining means encircling the sleeve and preferably compris- 1 shown at 7, preferably adjacent the respective ends of the sleeve, and one or more coils of a suitable non-expansible but readily pliable wire 8 is received in each of the grooves 7 so as to encircle the split sleeve 3, with the ends of each wire suitably ;connected,as for example by a twisted engagement 9. The wires 8 thus hold the protector sleeve against swinging open at its split 4 and thus retain H the sleeve on drill pipe 1, and the non-expansible wires by engaging the'outer peripheral surface of the protector sleeve insure all radial expansion of the sleeve being radially inwardly so as to 'maintain a gripping engagement of the protector on the drill pipe.

, The wires 8 when in operative position may be positively tightened for more firmly grip pingthe protector sleeve on the drill pipe, and said positive tightening meansmay be 7 arranged for locking engagement with the drill pipe so as to positively hold the pro-.

tector against axial displacement. For this purpose a key 10 is adapted for longitudinal insertion in the split 5 of sleeve 3 so as to extend under wires 8 as shown in Fig. 3, and

the outer face of the key forms wedging surfaces 11 adapted to slide down in back of the respective wires 8 so as to positively tighten the same, with the wires preferably seating in notches 12 in said outer face of the key when the latter has been shifted to position for maximum wedging tightening of the wires as shown in Fig. 2. a The key 10 when wedged in back of wires Slpreferably provides a positive locking engagement with the drill pipe 1 for preventing axial displacement of the protector sleeve, and for this purpose the inner face of the key may be toothed or serrated as shown, at 13, so, that with the key in operative position as shown in Fig. 2the teeth 13 will bite into the drill pipe 1 for preventing axial displacement of the protector sleeve or relative axial shifting of the key in a direction to release its wedging engagement with wires 8.

The protector sleeve is thus adapted for convenient mounting on a drill pipe at any desired point along its length, and is positively held against axial displacement, with the retaining wires insuring all radial expansion of the sleeve being radially inwardly for radially increasing the gripping engagement of the sleeve on pipe 1, and the key 10 providing a wedge for positively tightening the wires 8 and adapted to bite into the drill pipe for positively locking the key against axialdisplacement from its operative position.

In practice a relatively large number of coils of the wire 8 are preferably received in each of the grooves 7, with the wire which is received in each groove preferably comprising one continuous wire passed around the protector sleeve to form an initial coil, the

ends of which are then twisted together as shown at 9*, with the ends of the twisted wire then again passed around the protector sleeve to form succeeding coils, the ends of each of which are similarly twisted together before forming the next succeeding coil, in order that the one continuous wire which isthus coiledaround the sleeve at'each groove'7 shall comprise a plurality of annular retaining means, each individually fastened in place, sov that breakage of one or more coils of the wire willleave the remaining coilsfastened in place for securing the protector sleeve on the drill pipe.

I claim:

1. A protector comprising a sleeve adapted to encircle a drill pipe, retaining means en'- ci'rcling the sleeve, and a wedge adapted for insertion beneath the retaining means for tightening the same so as to radially contract the sleeve for gripping engagement on the pipe. v

2; A protector comprising a sleeve adapted to encircle a drill pipe, a non-expansible closed annulus encircling the sleeve so as to prevent radially outward expansion'ofthe sleeve, and a wedge adapted for insertion be neath the closed annulus for tightening the same so as'to radially contract the sleeve for.

expansion of the sleeve, and a wedge adapted it for insertion beneath the closed annulus for tightening the same so as to radially contract the sleeve for gripping engagement on the P P 5. A protector comprising a sleeve axially split so as to adapt it to encircle a drill pipe, retaining means encircling the split sleeve, and a key adapted for longitudinal insertion in the split of the sleeve and beneath said'retaining means, said key having a wedging surface adapted to engage the retaining means for tightening the same, and the key having an opposite surface adapted for locking engagement with the pipe.

6, A protector comprising a sleeve axially split so as to adapt it to encircle a drill pipe, retaining means encircling the split sleeve,

and a key adapted for longitudinal insertion in the split of the sleeve and beneath said retaining means, said ke being adapted for locking engagement with the pipe.

7. A protector comprising a sleeve axially split so as to adapt it to encircle a drill pipe, at key in said split adapted for locking engagement with the drill pipe, and retaining means encircling the split sleeve and adapted to tighten the key against the drill pipe.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JOHN W. MAOCLATCHIE. 

